A Martian is sentenced to visit Earth to cure a selfish man.A Martian is sentenced to visit Earth to cure a selfish man.A Martian is sentenced to visit Earth to cure a selfish man.
Crissie Bell
- Minnie
- (as Miss Chrissie Bell)
E. Holman Clark
- The Messenger
- (as Mr. Holman Clark)
Hubert Willis
- The Tramp
- (as Mr. Hubert Willis)
Charles Hawtrey
- Horace Parker
- (as Mr. Charles Hawtrey)
Kate Tyndall
- Aunt Martha
- (as Miss Kate Tyndall)
Evelyn Beaumont
- Bella
- (uncredited)
R. Crompton
- God of Mars
- (uncredited)
Frank Hector
- Arthur Dicey
- (uncredited)
Tonie Reith
- Wounded Man's Wife
- (uncredited)
B. Stanmore
- Wounded Man
- (uncredited)
Eileen Temple
- Mrs. Claremce
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Wallett Waller(uncredited)
- Writers
- Richard Ganthony(uncredited)
- Wallett Waller
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is believed to be the first full-length science-fiction film made in the UK.
- GoofsSpelling mistakes in the text relating to scenes: befor instead of before/begger instead of beggar and mis-judged instead of misjudged.
Featured review
Of great historic importance, but difficult for the modern viewer to appreciate
Ramiel, a native of Mars, is banished to Earth for some unspecified violation of the laws of his society. He is informed that he will only be permitted to return to his native planet when he has fulfilled his mission, which is to redeem the most selfish man on Earth. This turns out to be Horace Parker, a wealthy middle-aged Londoner. Horace is not a miser, as some have called him, if by "miser" is meant a man who would rather hoard his money than spend it. His luxurious home and elegant clothing show that he is quite happy to spend on himself. He refuses, however, to spend money on anyone else and treats the poor with contempt. His selfishness has led his beautiful young fiancée Minnie to call off their engagement, but he seems unconcerned.
Some descriptions of the film call Horace a young man, although this is inaccurate as he is played by Charles Hawtrey, who was 55 at the time. This is not, of course, the actor of the same name who found fame in the "Carry On" comedies. The younger man, whose real name was George Hartree, changed it to "Charles Hawtrey" in the hope that people would think he was the son of the original Charles Hawtree, who was a well-known figure on the British stage during the early twentieth century; in reality the two were not related.
"A Message from Mars" has been called the first British science fiction film, but it is not really science fiction in the sense that we would understand the term. It is really a traditional religious morality tale, semi-secularised by making Horace's saviour a visitor from another planet rather than, say, an angel. Even so his name, Ramiel, is that of an angel mentioned in the Apocrypha. As others have pointed out, the plot is similar to that of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
Like virtually all films from the 1910s, this one was shot in monochrome, but in this case that word does not necessarily equate to "black-and-white" because different scenes were tinted in different colours, as was sometimes done during the silent era. (Alfred Hitchcock was to use this device in some of his early films such as "Downhill" and "The Lodger"). Here the Martian scenes are tinted in a neutral brown, whereas on Earth exterior scenes are a chilly blue, stressing the cold and bleakness of the streets (the action takes place in winter) and the interior ones a warm orange-brown, stressing the warmth and comfort of Horace's home. A house fire plays an important part in the action, and the relevant scenes are tinted a vivid red.
One strange feature of the modern restored version is that a soundtrack has been added- there is no dialogue, but there is a musical score and sound effects, some of which seem inappropriate, especially the sound of traffic whistling by which we hear every time the action moves outside onto a London street. Someone appears to have forgotten that there was little motorised traffic in 1913, and what vehicles there were moved much more slowly than modern ones, so they certainly would not have made the sound we hear. Mars must be a very windy place- all the Martian scenes take place indoors, but we can always hear the wind howling outside.
Trying to evaluate a film like "A Message from Mars" is a difficult task because it is so different from modern films. Indeed, it is in many ways different from later silent films such as "Downhill", "The Lodger" or Anthony Asquith's "A Cottage on Dartmoor", all of which date from the late twenties. By this later period techniques such as the close-up had been developed, which allowed actors to display emotion by using facial expressions. In 1913 cinematic technique was in its infancy, and there are no close-ups in "A Message from Mars". All scenes are filmed from a distance, and the only way the actors have to show emotion is a series of hand and arm gestures, which is not particularly effective. It is perhaps not surprising that the scene in which Minnie ends her engagement is so uninvolving. Films like this are of great historic importance, but it is difficult for the modern viewer to appreciate them. 6/10.
Some descriptions of the film call Horace a young man, although this is inaccurate as he is played by Charles Hawtrey, who was 55 at the time. This is not, of course, the actor of the same name who found fame in the "Carry On" comedies. The younger man, whose real name was George Hartree, changed it to "Charles Hawtrey" in the hope that people would think he was the son of the original Charles Hawtree, who was a well-known figure on the British stage during the early twentieth century; in reality the two were not related.
"A Message from Mars" has been called the first British science fiction film, but it is not really science fiction in the sense that we would understand the term. It is really a traditional religious morality tale, semi-secularised by making Horace's saviour a visitor from another planet rather than, say, an angel. Even so his name, Ramiel, is that of an angel mentioned in the Apocrypha. As others have pointed out, the plot is similar to that of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol".
Like virtually all films from the 1910s, this one was shot in monochrome, but in this case that word does not necessarily equate to "black-and-white" because different scenes were tinted in different colours, as was sometimes done during the silent era. (Alfred Hitchcock was to use this device in some of his early films such as "Downhill" and "The Lodger"). Here the Martian scenes are tinted in a neutral brown, whereas on Earth exterior scenes are a chilly blue, stressing the cold and bleakness of the streets (the action takes place in winter) and the interior ones a warm orange-brown, stressing the warmth and comfort of Horace's home. A house fire plays an important part in the action, and the relevant scenes are tinted a vivid red.
One strange feature of the modern restored version is that a soundtrack has been added- there is no dialogue, but there is a musical score and sound effects, some of which seem inappropriate, especially the sound of traffic whistling by which we hear every time the action moves outside onto a London street. Someone appears to have forgotten that there was little motorised traffic in 1913, and what vehicles there were moved much more slowly than modern ones, so they certainly would not have made the sound we hear. Mars must be a very windy place- all the Martian scenes take place indoors, but we can always hear the wind howling outside.
Trying to evaluate a film like "A Message from Mars" is a difficult task because it is so different from modern films. Indeed, it is in many ways different from later silent films such as "Downhill", "The Lodger" or Anthony Asquith's "A Cottage on Dartmoor", all of which date from the late twenties. By this later period techniques such as the close-up had been developed, which allowed actors to display emotion by using facial expressions. In 1913 cinematic technique was in its infancy, and there are no close-ups in "A Message from Mars". All scenes are filmed from a distance, and the only way the actors have to show emotion is a series of hand and arm gestures, which is not particularly effective. It is perhaps not surprising that the scene in which Minnie ends her engagement is so uninvolving. Films like this are of great historic importance, but it is difficult for the modern viewer to appreciate them. 6/10.
helpful•10
- JamesHitchcock
- Nov 21, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Un messaggio da Marte
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 9 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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